How Does a Cell Phone Signal Booster Work?
Posted on 9/30/2019 by Nicholas Jones
Do cell phone boosters actually work? How do cell phone boosters work? These are questions that many people have. This misconception came about a long time ago when there were scams that claimed to enhance cell phone reception but didn’t really do anything to boost cell signal and weren’t regulated.
Times have changed, and the short answer is “Yes, cell signal boosters work.” They can boost the cell signal strength inside your home or vehicle by 32 times giving you faster data and more bars. Read on to learn more about how cell phone signal boosters work.
What is a Cell Phone Signal Booster?
A cell phone signal booster is a system that can boost weak outside cell signal into your home or vehicle to give you faster data speeds and better call quality.
Your cell phone is essentially a two-way radio operating behind a modern user interface and communicates with the cell tower by means of radio frequency (RF) signals.
Cell phone signal boosters or cell phone repeaters work by pulling cell signal from the nearest cell tower with an outside antenna, amplifying those signals, then rebroadcasting the amplified signals so your device/phone receives them. It can detect very faint and weak signals and boost them when there are obstructions in the way.
How Does a Signal Booster Work?
- Receives Signal – The outside antenna, which is mounted on a car roof or an exterior wall, communicates with the cell tower to access voice and data signal.
- Cell signal is passed along coax cable to the booster.
- Boosts Signal – The booster receives the signal and amplifies it. The amplified signal is then passed to the inside antenna.
- Broadcasts Signal – The inside antenna distributes the amplified signal into the interior space where cellular devices can use it.
Your mobile phone get’s boosted cell signal so now you won’t have dropped calls or undelivered texts. When a cell phone transmits a signal back to the tower the booster system repeats the process described above in reverse order, once again bypassing the potential obstructions.
Much of the time mobile reception and cell coverage problems are caused by building materials that block RF signals like brick, steel, stone, low-emittance glass, concrete, metal roofing or siding, etc.
How a Cell Signal Booster Works in Homes:
How a Cell Signal Booster Works in Vehicles:
Do Cell Phone Boosters Work?
Years ago, cell phone boosters weren’t regulated and would sometimes interfere with a carrier’s signal.
Since 2014, all U. S. cell phone signal boosters must be certified by the FCC to work as claimed in overcoming poor cell phone reception or extending cellular range.
The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) tests and certifies all cell boosters on the market. These government certifications are assurance for consumers that (a) cell signal boosters work as manufacturers claim, and (b) that boosters don’t cause harmful interference on the cellular network.
There are also lots of third-party tests and reviews out there proving that cell signal boosters do work. Please see below for some real-life examples:
This chart below shows testing done by the Fit RV with a weBoost booster that shows the improvement in signal with the booster on vs. without it turned off.
Here are some video reviews that show how weBoost boosters work.
- WEBOOST 4G-X OTR Cell Phone Signal Booster INSTALLATION + SIGNAL TEST REVIEW
- Do Cell Boosters Work? WeBoost Drive Reach!
- BEST DIY Off Grid Cell Phone Booster On The Planet…
How Does a Cellular Antenna Work?
Antenna’s are a critical part of a cell phone signal booster kit, which includes both an outdoor and indoor antenna to amplify cell signal. To learn more about antennas, check out this article on how antennas work.
Will a Cell Phone Booster Work for Me?
But how do you know if a cell booster will work under your specific poor-signal conditions? Here’s a test to help you tell.
If you have poor cell signal at home:
- Walk outside the building where you have bad cell reception.
- If you can get at least some cell signal outside, a cell phone signal booster can help enhance your indoor connectivity. And, the stronger the outside signal, the more coverage area a booster will provide indoors.
- If there is no cell signal at all outside, then a signal booster may not be the best option to improve your reception.
- If you want to get technical, try putting your iPhone in field test mode or Android in field test mode to see your actual signal strength.
If you have poor cell signal in your car/vehicle on your daily commute or when traveling, a cell phone booster would be a good option for you.
However, a cell phone booster won’t create a signal when there is absolutely no cell service. There must be at least a weak signal that the booster can amplify into your vehicle or home.
Cell Phone Signal Boosters That Actually Work
weBoost cell phone boosters work in trucks, RV’s, cars and homes of all sizes. They are FCC approved and boost all carriers like Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and more. They also boost all network speeds like 3G, 4G and LTE and work with all cellular devices. Most all weBoost signal boosters amplify cell signal for multiple devices simultaneously as well.
weBoost is a brand that you can trust will work as we’ve been in the market since 1999 and were the first to design and manufacture signal boosters.
Now you won’t have to worry about poor cell signal and slow data speeds in your home or vehicle.
Check out weBoost cell phone signal boosters below:
Cell Phone Boosters for Cars & Trucks:
- Drive Sleek – Best Cradle Booster
- Drive Reach – Best for Cars
- Drive 4G-X OTR – Best for Trucks
Cell Phone Boosters for RVs:
- Drive X RV – Best for Traveling
- Connect RV 65 – Best for Stationary Use
Cell Phone Boosters for Homes:
- Home Room – For One Room – Up to 1,500 sq ft
- Home MultiRoom – For Medium Homes – Up to 5,000 sq ft
- weBoost Installed | Home Complete – For Large Homes – Up to 7,500 sq ft
Where do you need to boost your signal?
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